Saving Dean
by malpal
Summary: Essie, a hunter, rescued her sister from a horde of demons and is trying to heal her while seeking retribution. An encounter with the Winchesters has the pair of siblings teaming up. Can Essie heal her sister while saving Dean from himself? Warning: dark themes.
1. Chapter 1

**This story just plopped into my head and I've never written something so fast. It's like my brain and fingers are in cahoots and they are writing this story on their own. This story will feature mature themes as well as some choice language from our wonderful friend Dean. Redemption, healing, and salvation are the main themes of this story. I hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any character associated with Supernatural. I only use them to interact with my own characters.**

**Chapter One**

"**Perkiness is not always wanted"**

Essie DeLuca sat on the old motel bed, her hands propping up her head as silent tears coursed down her face. The wind howled outside causing the windows to rattle and cold air to seep through. Teeth chattered in the bed next to her, and a low moan echoed through the room. Pushing her hair back and wiping her face with the back of her hand, Essie stood up grabbed the blanket from her bed and covered the shivering figure carefully.

Essie stood over her sister, simply content to watch. Slowly she sank down to the bed, tucking the covers around her sister's bruised face, trying to keep the cold away…it was the only thing she could do now. She brushed Eve's dirty and matted hair out of her eyes and had to bite down on the sides of her cheeks to keep from screaming. Her sister's eyes were both black and blue, one eye so swollen she feared she may lose part of her eyesight. Cuts marred the delicate porcelain skin, most likely infection setting in due to the dirt that covered most of her body.

A light buzzing in her coat pocket indicated she was receiving a call. Not wanting to wake her, Essie eased off the bed and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Taking out her cell phone, she flipped it open knowing exactly who was on the other line.

"I got her," she choked out. Essie put a fist in her mouth, biting down on the tender flesh. She didn't need him being worried about her as well. She needed to be strong.

"Thank God," a heavy sigh echoed over the line. "What kind of state is she in?"

"Not good Uncle Tony," Essie responded as she rested her head on the cool mirror over the sink. "She's badly broken. Not just physically…but emotionally as well."

"We knew that was going to be a possibility," Uncle Tony spoke carefully. "She had been gone for over a year. We're lucky she's even alive…Esther?"

"Yeah?" she cringed at the question he was going to ask next.

"Why did they keep her alive?"

"I…I don't know Uncle Tony," Essie replied wearily. "I can't even get her to say anything, let alone question her about what happened."

"Was she the only one they held captive?"

"No," Essie shook her head, her voice hardening as she remembered the gruesome sight. "There were so many bodies. I found her underneath a pile of dead children. I think they thought she was dead. She nearly was Uncle Tony. I think…if I had been there any later…she would be…"

"It's okay Esther," his calm voice soothed her shattered nerves. "She's okay now. Now, how bad is she?"

"Too bad for me to properly take care of. She needs medical attention. She has a couple broken bones, she's having difficulty breathing so she may have a cracked rib. I've tried to treat the superficial wounds, but she needs to see a doctor."

"Okay, let me think…" there was a pause and Essie could hear rustling over the phone line. "Let me make a few calls and I'll get back to you."

"Okay Uncle Tony," Essie whispered.

"You did good girl. Your Momma and Daddy would be right proud." He said after a moment, affection evident in his voice.

"Thanks." Essie quickly hung up to avoid having him hear her break down. The phone clattered into the sink as Essie sank to the ground. Large sobs shook her body as she curled up into a ball. She cried for the time it took to find Essie. The fear and hope that she would never find her sister. She cried for the torture her sister had endured as well as the rape Essie was afraid to contemplate. She cried for the state Eve would be in once she recovered. _Would she even be the sister I once recognized? _And she cried for the loss of innocence both DeLuca girls were forced to give up.

"Thank you Lord," Essie managed to bite out. She was truly thankful she had found her sister, despite her present state. "Give me strength Lord. And help her heal."

Essie stayed on the floor for a few more minutes before letting out a shaky breath, she did feel stronger as well as at peace with the circumstances. Pulling herself up, Essie stared at her reflection in the mirror. No one would have been able to guess that she used to be an elementary music teacher. At twenty-five, she was no longer the innocent woman who believed that everything in the world was sunshine and kittens. There were monsters that went bump in the night, creatures that stole children from their beds, and pure evil that could turn the best of people into murderous fiends.

Essie picked her phone out of the sink and turned the on the faucet; a rush of warm water spluttered into her open hands. Splashing her face in an attempt to wash off the dirt and grime, she took a towel and patted her face dry. In the mirror, dark nearly black eyes stared back at her out of a pale and hollow face. Dark bags beneath her eyes gave her a deathly look and she knew it was due to the low levels of sleep in the past few months. Essie re-tied her long wavy hair that was in serious need of a washing and put it into a high bun.

The phone buzzed loudly on the counter and after only one ring Essie snatched it up. "Hello?"

"Found a place, not too far from where you. Called Hell's Hideaway."

"Sounds charming," Essie said with a raised eyebrow. She was used to the dive bars she had to frequent for information, but still didn't like them.

"Yeah, well, it's a Hunter's bar. A man named Jeremiah should be there and he's helped out the family more times than not. He should be able to patch up Eve, at least enough to get her moved."

"Does he know I'm coming?" Essie asked as she fingered the small cross she wore around her neck.

"No, I spoke with a contact named Bobby who knows Jeremiah and his whereabouts."

"Great, I'll head over there then as soon as I can."

"Better do it soon, because he's probably already drinking his way to a coma right about now."

"What? It's only 5 o'clock." Essie said in disgust.

"Honey, hunters gotta find away to relieve stress. And if it's not drinking it's…"

"Yeah, yeah, I get the point. As long as he realizes I'm not there to relieve his stress."

Uncle Tony chuckled in the background, "pretty think like you angel? Don't bet on it. But you know how to take care of yourself."

"That I do," Essie responded darkly as she placed a hand on the gun, holstered under her left arm.

"But remember, you're going to want his help, so being nice always helps."

"Uncle Tony? I'm a good Christian girl. I'm always nice." Essie smiled angelically as if he could see her over the phone.

"Yes, you are a good Christian girl, but you're also a damned good hunter. I don't know which I worry about more, that you're too nice or you're too good of a hunter."

"Don't worry Uncle Tony," Essie soothed. "I'll be fine."

"You're a good girl Essie. Now go get Jeremiah so he can heal your big sister. It sounds like she needs all the help she can get."

"Yes sir," Essie replied and promptly hung up.

Pocketing her phone, Essie left the bathroom and walked to the small beat up desk next to the TV. Her bag with all of her special hunting weapons lay open on the desk and she searched for her special SOG Seal Combat Knife. Her uncle had given her the knife when he trained her a year ago and told her it was a special knife that could kill demons. "There you are Sandy," she muttered pulling the knife out of her bag. She attached the knife and sheath to her belt and allowed her dark red leather jacket to hang loose over the knife. Looking at herself in the mirror, she looked like any normal woman. Worn and faded jeans, low-healed boots with black steel tips, a white T-shirt, and leather jacket. She looked ready to go.

Essie sent a worried look in Eve's direction. She couldn't leave her sister alone, but she knew it was going to cause Eve a lot of pain to move her. Steeling herself, Essie sat down next to Eve and gently shook her awake. Before she could react, a hand shot out from under the covers and latched on to Essie's neck. Long nails dug into her skin and she could feel tiny rivulets of blood drip down her neck. Quickly, Essie brought her right arm down hard on the hand and winced at the scream that tore from her sister's mouth. Eve let her go and cradled her already wounded arm to her chest.

"Essie?" Eve's damaged voice cracked in question.

"It's me Eve," Essie spoke after a moment. Grabbing an old T-shirt and putting it to her neck. She was lucky Eve hadn't punctured too deeply. "I'm sorry Eve. That was my fault."

"Essie…" Eve's voice trailed off.

"Look, Uncle Tony found someone who can help fix you up. But in order to do this, we've gotta go now," Essie hesitantly walked closer to Eve. "Are you up for taking a trip?"

Eve turned her lifeless blue eyes in her direction, "let's go."

Essie nodded resolutely. Throwing the ruined T-shirt into the trash, she began to pack up all their belongings into one bag. Since she traveled frequently, they needed to be able to move quickly and with a small amount of stuff. "I'm going to throw these into the car and come back for you."

Essie stepped out of the room, eyes immediately scanning her surroundings. Throwing the two bags over her shoulder she stepped off the sidewalk and walked carefully to her car, a hand on her gun the entire time. Opening the back door of her red 2010 Jeep Wrangler, she threw the bags into the trunk and locked up.

Back in the motel room, Eve had already pushed back the covers and set her trembling feet on the threadbare carpet. Essie had to clench her hands tightly to keep from punching something at the view of her sister's badly bruised body. When she had first found her older sister, Eve had been naked and every inch of her skin was covered in blood or bruises, especially the flesh of her inner thighs. Essie had clothed her with sweats and a large T-shirt, but she knew every part of Eve's body must ache and it killed her to see her sister in such pain.

"Okay, let's get you to the car. I got you a pair of flip-flops that you can wear." Essie slipped the pair onto Eve's feet, being careful to avoid the open sores. The bottoms of her feet looked as if there was barely any skin left, as if she were made to walk daily on shards of glass. The shoes would probably cause Eve pain, but better then walking over the pavement and gravel then re-opening old wounds. If only she had the strength to pick her up and carry her to the car.

"Now, let's stand up," Essie commanded. Taking her sister's arm carefully, making sure it was the one that wasn't broken, "and put this around my neck. Good thing you're the tall one or this would never have worked," she joked in an attempt to alleviate some of the tension in the room.

Taking baby steps, the two women made it across the room to the door. Essie tried to block out Eve's moans of pains and she desperately wished she could take on her sister's hurt. "Okay, we made it to the door, now it's just a couple feet to the jeep."

It felt like an eternity to Essie, who wanted to get to Jeremiah quickly, but eventually they made it to the car. "Okay, front or back?"

Eve brought her head up and blearily peered at the vehicle. "Back," she croaked out between dry lips.

"Okay, back it is," Essie commented cheerily. Unlocking the doors, Essie gingerly helped Eve into the back seat who promptly lay down; her breathing grew ragged as she attempted to take in air.

"How're you doin' sis?" Essie asked in concern as she rooted around the back for a stray blanket.

"Enough…of the…perkiness…let's go," Eve rasped.

"Sure thing," Essie smiled softly as she placed the blanket over her sister. At least her sarcasm was coming back.

Closing the door, Essie rounded the jeep and climbed into the front. Turning on the car, she pulled out of the parking lot and headed towards Hell's Hideaway. She could safely say she'd never been so eager to go to a bar.

"Okay Eve," Essie looked into the rearview mirror at her sister's prone figure. "Let's go to a bar."

**Please let me know what you thought. I would be eager to hear from all of you. Please make me smile by reviewing **


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural. I only use them as I see fit.**

**Chapter Two**

"**Please keep all body parts to yourself during the ride…thank you"**

"Okay Dean," Sam sighed. "Let's go to a bar."

"Naw man," Dean shook his head. "I just think I'm gonna chill here. Watch a couple of movies and veg out."

"Are you gonna watch The Notebook and cry like a girl too?"

"Shut up dude," Dean growled lying on the bed with the remote clenched in his right hand.

"Listen, I'm sorry about Lisa. Maybe if you give her a call…"

"Wow…that's ingenious," Dean shot Sam a chilling look.

"Well, you can't just stay here Dean. Let's go do something."

"Since when do you want to go to a bar?"

"I don't necessarily want to go to a bar. I just want to get out of here. Let's try the one down the road, um I think it's called Hell's Hiding."

"You mean Hell's Hideaway?"

"Yeah, I think that's it," Sam nodded with his hands in his jeans pockets.

"You mean the hunter's bar?"

"Yeah that's the…wait…um…what?" Sam paused with a practiced confused look.

"Yeah, the hunter's bar, just down the road," Dean turned off the TV and tossed the remote onto the bed. He sat up and tugged on his flannel button down and grabbed the keys off the nightstand. "I could use a case to take my mind off things I suppose."

"Oh, thank God," Sam muttered following Dean to the door.

"Let's go Sammy," Dean barked already out the door.

"Eve, are you going to be alright staying in the car?" Essie looked over her shoulder.

"I'll be…fine…go get the…doc…" Eve managed to rasp.

"I'll be right back Eve." Essie stepped out of the jeep and locked up behind her. It was just starting to get dark and hoped she could grab the doc and be out of there soon.

Pushing through the door she was surprised to see the bar filled with so many people this early in the day. There were only about twenty people, but that was nineteen more than she expected. The moment she stepped through all eyes shifted to her. Not normally liking the attention of so many people, she stared straight ahead and headed towards the bar stools. Most sat at the bar so she figured that would be the best place to start looking for Jeremiah.

Essie stood at the end of the bar and looked down the line of people. Fifteen stools lined the bar and most of the men who sat on them were grizzled older men with many scars and hardened eyes. They grunted at her presence and turned their gazes to the glass of booze in front of them. There were a couple of elderly men with white hair and thin gaunt-like figures who looked as if they were having a hard time just keeping their head up let alone fight off a monster. Two men who looked a little older then her stood out in the older group; one of them gave her a cheeky grin and a wink, while the taller one with shaggy hair merely shrugged and nodded her way.

"What can I get ya?" the man next to her asked, giving her a toothy grin.

"Nothing, thank you," Essie kindly replied. "Excuse me, bartender?"

The bartender, a middle-aged man with a paunch stood behind the bar talking to the younger men. He held up a finger as he seemed to be in the middle of a humorous story. Sure enough two seconds later all three men reared back their heads and let out a loud barking laughter.

Annoyed, Essie leaned her arm against the bar and let her head rest in her hand. Being a hunter was a manly man's profession. And she would have liked nothing more than to return to her elementary students, but she knew too much, been exposed to too much. She was a fighter now, and she had to make her way in a man's world.

"What would you like miss?" the bartender finally decided to amble his way down to her side of the bar. He leaned against the bar and wiped his hands on the towel he kept next to a few bottles of liquor.

"I'm looking for Jeremiah," Essie said standing up.

"Who wants to know?" the bartender asked, clearly irritated to have someone he didn't know enter his establishment.

"I do," she replied cheekily. Essie and the bartender seemed to have a standoff, both not wanting to back down.

"What you want with me little lady?" a raspy voice called from the other end of the bar. He was one of the older men whose head seemed too large for his thin body. Thick white hair covered his head and stood on end as if he had been recently electrocuted.

Essie sighed and made her way towards the old man. On her way a man swirled around and gave her a smile that she had to assume was supposed to be alluring but only made her shiver with disgust.

"What you want with that ol' geezer? Let me show you want a real Texan man can do. I bet I can make you scream my name all night." He guffawed as a meaty hand smacked her on the butt. Essie didn't even think instead she simply let her body move in reaction. The hand that smacked was suddenly pulled behind his back while she quickly pushed his head onto the bar.

"I bet I can make you scream my name too," Essie spoke coldly. "I can easily break your arm. So I suggest you keep all your body parts to yourself. It's not very gentlemanly like. Do you understand?"

"I get it," he growled.

"Good," Essie nodded and promptly let go. He immediately cradled his arm and sent her a scathing look while his buddies laughed and patted him on the back. She found it completely disgusting how men treated women as if they were their own pleasure slaves.

Turning her attention to Jeremiah, she noticed the two younger men were out of the seats as if they were ready to come to her aid. She appreciated their eagerness to help her, but she had to show these men she could take care of herself or they would walk all over her. Passing them with a slow nod, she stood next to Jeremiah who had a goofy smile on his face.

"Well, you can sure handle yourself there little lady," Jeremiah whistled through the gap in his teeth. A rather sizeable gap when she saw his front two teeth were missing and she could have sworn she saw one of the lower teeth wiggle back and forth as he talked.

"You're Jeremiah? The doctor?" Essie didn't want to judge a person based on appearances, but she also wanted the best for her sister.

"Oh, I ain't no doctor," Jeremiah howled in laughter which was followed by the whole bar who seemed to be listening intently to their conversation.

"Well can you fix broken bones?" Essie asked, trying to tamper down her anger.

"I reckon I could do that?" Jeremiah fixed a hard eye on her body, looking her over intently. "Don't see nothing out of place on you though."

"It's not for me…it's for someone else," Essie said softly, aware that conversation had stopped around them as they waited for a response.

"Well, you'll have to come back later," Jeremiah waved a drunken hand in the air. "I ain't in any condition to be fixin' bones," he slurred.

Essie picked up his glass of liquor and set it out of reach. "Well you better get sober fast, because my sister isn't going to last much longer."

"Your sister?" Jeremiah hiccupped.

"Yes," Essie nodded curtly. "Bartender, could you get this man some coffee?"

"I don't want no stinking coffee," Jeremiah groused as he tried to get his liquor back.

"Now listen to me grandpa," Essie knocked the glass away hearing it shatter on the floor as she grabbed the man's shirt. "I just plucked my sister from a demon nest and she is barely breathing. I need you to fix her up because the Lord only knows what she has had to endure. I am not letting her suffer any longer than I have to." She calmly let go of the man and once again indicated for some coffee.

"Do what the lady says Jeremiah," the bartender sighed as he put a steaming cup of coffee before him.

"Do you have a back room?" she asked the bartender.

"Yeah, you can bring your sister in," he nodded. "The name's Joe by the way."

"Thank you Joe," Essie nodded with a grateful smile.

She turned around and headed towards the door hearing two sets of feet following her. Reaching the door, instead of opening it she swiveled on her heel to see the two younger men right behind her.

"What are you doing?" Essie asked with heaviness. She just wanted to get her sister and go home.

"I'm Sam," the taller, shaggier man responded, "and this is my brother Dean."

"Hey," Dean nodded with a small wave and lopsided grin.

"We thought that if your sister is as bad as you say she is, you may need some help getting her in."

Essie eyed the two men carefully. They were both well muscled and big men. Sam, much taller and leanly built, while Dean was more compact but he had a hardness to his look that said he was not a man to pick a fight with.

"The Winchester's are good boys," Joe's voice echoed through the bar.

Leaning past them to thank Joe, she returned her gaze to the Winchesters and sighed. The only man she trusted these days was her Uncle, but she supposed it was time to go on a little faith.

"Fine," Essie conceded. "But if there is any funny business," Essie pulled back her jacket to showcase her Glock 22. She let the gun speak for itself.

"Fine by me," Dean put up both his hands in surrender. "Lead the way."

**Hope you enjoyed the second chapter. We got to see our favorite Hunters in this chapter. Please let me know what you think. R&R **


End file.
